April 7th, 2008
Older adolescents who have a television where they sleep are less likely to engage in healthy activities such as exercising, eating fresh vegetables and enjoying family meals, according to the study “Characteristics Associated With Older Adolescents Who Have a Television in Their Bedrooms.”
A study group of 781 socioeconomically and ethnically diverse teens participating in the Project EAT study reported on their television viewing habits, study habits and grades, diet, exercise habits and “family connectedness.” About two-thirds of the teens, who had a mean age of 17.2 years, had a television in their bedroom or sleeping area. They watched four to five hours more television each week.
Girls with a TV in their bedrooms spent less time in vigorous activity each week than girls without TVs in their rooms (1.8 vs. 2.5 hours). They also ate fewer fresh vegetables (1.7 vs. 2.0 servings per day), and had fewer family meals (2.9 vs. 3.7 meals per week).
Boys with TVs in their rooms not only had lower fruit intake and fewer family meals, they also had a lower grade point average compared to their counterparts with no TVs in the bedroom (2.6 vs. 2.9). Overall, teens with televisions in their rooms ate more fast food, consumed more sweetened beverages and read or studied less.
The authors from the University of Minnesota conclude that refraining from placing a television in teenagers’ rooms may be a first step in helping to reduce screen time and subsequent poor behaviors associated with TV watching.
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April 3rd, 2008
PBS Kids Sprout recently reported they are averaging 17 million views a month on their video-on-demand programs. PBS Kids Sprout is looking at how VOD has changed how preschool households are taking in media. They are the first 24-hour preschool network on TV, on-demand and online (sprout online.com) for kids 2 to 5 and their parents. The network launched first as a VOD service in April 2005, and then began a 24-hour linear channel and Web site that September. A partnership of Comcast Corp., HIT Entertainment, PBS and Sesame Workshop, PBS Kids Sprout reaches 35 million households via Comcast, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Insight, RCN, Time Warner, Verizon and AT&T.;
The network offers 60 hours of VOD programming each month, including 10 hours of Spanish-language programming (Plaza Sesamo, Angelina Ballerina, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Barney & Friends, Bob the Builder and The Berenstain Bears).
Further research on the consumers utilizing VOD revealed that the typical Sprout household is a more active media consumer; parents are 10% more likely to sit and watch TV with their preschoolers and 25% more likely to have selected a kids’ VOD program in the past six months. Also, nearly half of the Sprout viewers said they watch TV and VOD with their children daily.
Interesting, are you using VOD yet? If so, write me and tell me more. You can reply to this post. Thanks.
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April 2nd, 2008
Straight from their hit TV show on Playhouse Disney, the Doodlebops from Cookie Jar Entertainment) will perform live at the Mall of America. Deedee, Rooney and Moe are traveling the U.S. in a live concert tour across North America. This candy-colored trio will have children and parents rockin’ and boppin’ together at the country’s largest Mall. At 1:30 p.m. families can meet in the Rotunda where they will be inspired to move and groove along with the Doodlebops as they perform some of their rockin’ hits.
Doodlebops LIVE! is taking place at the Xcel Energy Center on Friday, April 4. Tickets are available at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office and all area Ticketmaster locations or online.
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March 28th, 2008
“Alvin and the Chipmunks” will be released to DVD on April 1st. Funny, mischievous and very adventurous, Alvin, Simon and Theodore come to life in this silly family film. “Alvin and the Chipmunks, “originally created in 1958 by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr, have delighted audiences around the world with 16 studio records which have garnered five Grammy Awards, notably with their Christmas perennial favorite “The Chipmunk Song.”
“Animal Planet: Growing Up Wild Cats” also comes out in DVD on April 1st. This is a big cat-themed collection of four complete episodes: “Growing Up Lion,” “Growing Up Tiger,” “Growing Up Cheetah,” and “Growing Up Black Leopard.” Each installment features rescued or orphaned cubs and the compassionate caretakers who nurture them as they venture into adulthood. From bottle feedings, first steps and first bath to learning how to swim, these bold and bouncy babies discover how to adapt to their newly adopted homes while at the same time learning how to survive with other big cats.
Winners of Nickelodeon’s 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards include
Movies
Movie: Alvin and the Chipmunks
Actress: Jessica Alba
Actor: Johnny Depp
Voice in an Animated Movie: Eddie Murphy in Shrek the Third
Animated Movie: Ratatouille
TV
Show: Drake & Josh
Reality Show: American Idol
Actress: Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)
Actor: Drake Bell (Drake & Josh)
Cartoon: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Music
Music Group: The Jonas Brothers
Female Singer: Miley Cyrus
Male Singer: Chris Brown
Song: Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne)
Sports
Male Athlete: Tony Hawk
Female Athlete: Danica Patrick
Wannabe
Cameron Diaz
Other Categories
Video Game: Madden NFL ’08
Book: Harry Potter (series)
Last, for those of you who haven’t heard it, check out The Mom Song” sung to the William Tell Overture.
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March 28th, 2008
Hip Hop Harry is a preschool, dance, musically – based, and live action program designed to entertain, educate and inform children ages 3 to 6. It’s the perfect blend of entertainment and education with a curriculum that addresses social and cognitive learning as well as physical and creative elements. The core tool used in this show is the popular music and dance form known as hip hop.
Hip Hop is one of the major music and dance voices for youth today. Hip Hop includes art, dance, language and music. Equally important, is that it extends across all ethnic, class and gender lines throughout the world. Educators know that children learn more when they are physically engaged and Hip Hop Harry Program does exactly that – using dance and music to reach kids in what I refer to as stealth learning.
Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting with non other than Hip Hop Harry himself. Here’s an excerpt of our conversation:
Ø Hi Hip Hop Harry. You have become quite the TV star, haven’t you. Where do you live?
Ø I live in Los Angeles. Thank you. I can’t believe it. I love everybody’s support. It’s a beautiful thing. We’ve been very blessed and very lucky. We have beautiful kids on the show and beautiful music as well.
Ø Tell me more about your show. How did it first come about.
Ø My good buddy Clark Brookes who created the show realized that the power of hip hop’s call and response goes right into helping kids retain so much knowledge. His nephew was having trouble with his homework. He realized that by putting the lessons into rhymes that he retained the lessons better. So, we use the call and response, lyrics, repetition and dancing all help kids learn things better. It’s amazing what music does. You can look at your textbook with the same information but if you hear it in song, you will retain what that song is telling you. The songs cover everything from hygiene, all the way to sea creatures.
Ø What are your plans for the summer season. Is there anything new coming up? You have a couple of new DVDs that just came out, right?
Ø Yes we do. We have two DVDs in stores right now. One is called “Fun With Friends” and the other is called “Move Those Feet.” We’ve done a string of shows, live tours. I love the live shows – we’ve got a dance called Do the Harry that is something to see when the whole audience is doing it. We’ve got a great summer ahead of us. We’re on Discovery Kids and The Learning Channel still. But this summer – we’ve got more live shows.
Ø I love the dancing on your show. Where did you learn to dance so well?
Ø I like the dancing too. These kids are incredible. They’re keeping me polishing up my own dance techniques. I was always dancing. Felt it as a cub, around the time of break dancing – which I grew up – I loved everything that’s new in dancing I like. It’s a beautiful art form.
Ø Other than the dancing. what is your favorite thing about your show. And why? Being able to help the kids learn so much about life’s beautiful things through hip hop music and being able to show that hip hop is a beautiful thing and has a potential for beauty. It goes beyond stereotypes. And shows that it’s something the youth of today like. To be able to teach through music I can’t ask for more.
Ø Tell me a bit more about the live show.
Ø It’s me and my dancers – some of the hardest working dancers out there. We bring the magic that you see on TV to the stage. The songs from the show are performed live in front of the audience while me and my dancers all dance to them. It’s an incredible feeling to have the energy audience – it’s fun for everyone.
Ø You are such an upbeat personality. What advice do you have for kids today? How can someone keep such a positive attitude towards life like you do?
Ø Life is what you want to make it. I would tell the kids of today, find the good in everything as best as they can. When times call for a smile, smile a good smile. Keep a thirst for education and good music. Then, it’s hard not to smile. And remember to exercise – best done through dance.
Ø Anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Ø Usually with radio interviews I come with an improve rhyme. Here is one for you:
“One for the flow, two for the verse,
I’m Hop Hop Harry and I put KIDS FIRST!
Rhymes are food for thought and I eat to live.
And I use these rhymes to teach the kids.”
Lovely, thanks Hip Hop Harry – I hope you can come perform at our KIDS FIRST! Film Festival sometime, in some city.
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March 24th, 2008
Entertainment media company, Maitland Primrose Group, who operates and owns Moving Pictures Magazine and The Maitland Primrose Film Distribution (MPFD) arm will premiere their first theatrical movie “The Legend of Tillamook’s Gold” in Mesa, Arizona this weekend – March 28 at Harkins’ Superstition Theater in Mesa, Arizona. The film was a huge success at the KIDS FIRST! Film Festivals around the country and features Brian McNamara of Lifetime TV show, “Army Wives.” The film tells the story of teenage sleuth, Julie Kimbell, who searches for a legendary treasure buried in the mountains of Tillamook, Oregon.
Maitland Primrose Group will designate a portion of the proceeds from “The Legend of Tillamook’s Gold” matinee screenings on Saturday, March 29th to Save The Family in Mesa, Arizona and Sunday, March 30’s matinees to the International Cancer Advocacy Network (ICAN.)
Later this year, Maitland Primrose will release “The Legend of Tillamook’s Gold” on DVD through Questar Inc. followed by a premiere TV showing on Starz! Pay Television in October.
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Older adolescents who have a television where they sleep are less likely to engage in healthy activities such as exercising, eating fresh vegetables and enjoying family meals, according to the study “Characteristics Associated With Older Adolescents Who Have a Television in Their Bedrooms.”
